“She’s finding her way, Kaid. You said that yourself. Allow her some space,” Riley tried again.
Kaid didn’t say anything, just looked at him, resembling a confused child more than the dangerous Alpha that he was.
Riley sighed, “She yours?” he asked Kaid.
Kaid didn’t answer, just kept looking at Riley.
“I said, is she yours?” Riley insisted.
“Yes! She’s mine!”
“Then she’ll come ‘round. Give her some space. Ain't no harm can come from it.”
Kaid inclined his head, “I hope you’re right. I’m trying.”
Wasn’t yet noon before Bane’s phone started ringing, “Janie? Is it time? You awright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Just wanted to tell you that I need more bacon. And some Maple syrup. And some crescent rolls and brown sugar.”
He stopped working and sat up on the roof, “What the hell are you making?”
“It’s called Bacon Crack. I saw it on the internet. Please bring it home for me, please, please, please?”
“Yes, I will bring it home. Is that it?”
“Yes, and I love you.”
“I love you too, Heart. Now let me go so I can get done sooner.”
“Okay, Oh, and bring Riley home for dinner. We been cooking all day.”
“I will try, my Heart.”
He yelled down at Riley that he was expected to come home and have dinner with them.
“I don’t know, Man, I don’t want to impose,” he answered.
“Dude! Please. You have no idea how much Cristie being there affected the women,” Daniel called to him.
Riley looked across at Daniel, knowing that it was Daniel’s Mate that had been upset that day, “You sure?”
Daniel smiled, nodding his head, “You don’t know how many times Avaleigh’s said, ‘I hope Riley brings Cristie again.’ Bring her, Man, she loved spending time with her.”
“Ya’ll sure?”
“You're not used to being in a clan are ya?” Bam asked him.
“No, I ain’t.”
“I wasn’t either. But it grows on ya. Come on, we want ya to eat with us.”
He looked over to Kaid who was still looking lost. Kaid felt eyes on him; he looked up to see who was watching him.
“They want me for dinner.”
Kaid snorted, “You’re not the kind of pussy I eat. But you can come have dinner with us anyway.”
Riley laughed, “Okay, I will then. But I’m bringing Cristie so no more cussing when I get there.”
Riley caught himself smiling often during the day. This was a good group of guys. Good people. And he envied them their places. Not that he wanted to replace them, he just wanted to find the place that he belonged in. A place that was his home and settle there. It couldn’t be here. Too many Alphas in one place. Kaid, rightful Alpha. Daniel, also Alpha, but pretending he wasn’t so that he could remain here and keep his Mate happy. And himself. He was an Alpha. Not that he’d ever made an effort to start his own pride, but he was still Alpha, nonetheless. Naw, he needed to find his own place.
Before he knew it, it was quitting time, and he headed off toward his truck, “I’ll see ya’ll in a bit.”
Chapter 18
Avaleigh had spent most of the day finishing up Lurin’s papers. About 2PM she jumped up so quickly that Amos startled. “This is it! This has to be about Delilah!” She leaned over, still standing, gathering up the rest of the papers in the stack she’d been perusing. Eyes skimming the lines, slowly flipping through them. “Got to be it…”
“What’d you find, Avaleigh?” Amos asked, curiously peering over her shoulder.
“Look at this,” she told him. Holding it out for him to better see. “Do you think that we should tell her?”
Amos looked it over for a few minutes, “Is there more?”
“Yeah, there’s charts, and what looks like instructions for administering medicines, and all kinds of crap. It’s Delilah. I know it is.”
Amos looked it over again briefly, “Got to tell her. It’s better than no answer at all.”
Avaleigh nodded, “You’re right. Let me read it all over and then we’ll go see her. You’ll come with me, right?”
“Absolutely.”
About half an hour later, Avaleigh and Amos left the house, headed toward Bam’s. As they walked up to the house, Delilah walked out onto the outside deck that looked down over Bam's work area below. “Sister Avaleigh. You come to visit me,” Delilah said as welcome. “And Amos, you as well. I am gifted with your attentions.”
Avaleigh smiled up at Delilah, “You look like a Queen up there, welcoming your people to court.”
Delilah smiled again, “Welcoming my family, yes.”
“May we come in and speak with you, Delilah?”
“Yes, please. Have you found me in the papers?”
“Yes, I believe I have.”
They went up the stairs, and Delilah met them at the door; she was standing there holding it open for them as they approached. She motioned to the couch, and they all made themselves comfortable.
“Please. Show me what you have found.”
Avaleigh held out a sheet of paper to Delilah, but Delilah shook her head no, “Please read it to me. I am far too nervous to try to remember all the symbols to read.”
Avaleigh nodded slightly, “Okay, Delilah. This sheet says ‘Newborn. Female. D.’ Then below that it says ‘Mother. Deceased. Child 2 days old. Father. Deceased. Battle. Fought valiantly. Family.’ Then there are a few numbers and calculations. Then here, see this?” She showed it to Delilah, who dutifully looked at it, nodding. “It says, Conundrum - thought mother would survive Mate’s death - youngling. Perhaps over medicated.” Avaleigh stopped there. Allowing Delilah to absorb the bits that she’d found for her.
Delilah stared off into space for a few moments, and she gave no response. Then she seemed to come back to herself. “My parents did not give me away. They did not sell me. He destroyed them, too.” She smiled through slight tears at Amos, then looked to Avaleigh for agreement.
“I’m sorry, Girlie. But at least you know your parents cared. They wanted you.”
Avaleigh added, “I think so. I think he stole your mother, your father came after her, and he battled him to the death. I think your mother died right after giving birth to you. I think he drugged her to make her less likely to fight him, and because her system was unstable having just given birth, she died.”
“I believe you are correct, Sister Avaleigh. He had many tricks and poisons. He could have overpowered anyone who was unsuspecting.” She looked to Avaleigh again, “Is there more?”
“Yes, there is, I found charts here.” She handed a few pages to Delilah. “It looks like he kept growth charts on you. The usual stuff, height, weight. Observances, things that you liked and didn't like. And he experimented too, gave you different concoctions of potions. Looks like some of them kept you from shifting. Others did things like kept your sense of smell from functioning. He’s got some scribbles here. It looks like he tried different things to alter all your senses.”
Delilah took the pages from Avaleigh, looking slowly through them. “Perhaps that is why my Beast never shifted. He kept her subdued.” She looked excitedly at Avaleigh, “Maybe that is why I had no scent! Do you think that I smell now?”
“What? I don’t know what you mean.”
“When you and Kaid were with Lurin, he left me there.”
“We didn’t know you were there, Delilah,” Ave rushed to defend Kaid, though gently.
“I understand this, but if we are Mates, would he not detect me? Feel me?” she pointed to her mind to indicate him sensing her presence, “scent me?”
“Oh, I get cha,” Amos said excitedly, “You thinking that maybe Lurin dosed you with something to keep you from having a scent. To keep your head from connecting with anybody or anybody from sensing ya, knowing you was there even.”
Delilah smiled for the first tim
e in a while, “Yes, Amos. This is what I am thinking. Kaid did not feel me because I was,” she hesitated, “dosed. It was not because we are not Mates.”
“Yes!” Avaleigh said. “That’s completely possible. That’s it! Got to be. And now that we’ve figured it out, you can come back home, and Kaid can stop beating himself up about not knowing you were there.”
Delilah looked at her curiously, “Kaid has been hitting himself?”
Avaleigh snickered, “Not exactly. He’s been feeling really, really bad that he didn’t know to bring you with us. He hasn't been able to forgive himself. He thinks that you’re here because you found out that he left you there and that you can’t forgive him either.”
Delilah listened to Avaleigh explain Kaid's behavior. “I am here for many reasons. None of which are anger toward Kaid. I feel many things that I must think on. Some of these things you have brought me answers to today, Avaleigh. I know now that he is my Mate. I know why he did not sense me. I no longer have doubts of this.”
“Great! Then you can come home now, Girlie.”
“No, I cannot.”
“But why? We miss you, Kaid needs you home. We all do, Honey.”
Avaleigh watched Delilah and Amos talking; she noticed the flash from violet to ice blue in Delilah’s eyes. “It’s your Beast, isn’t it? She doesn't want to be around us.”
“I do not know,” Delilah whispered truthfully. “She pushed me to leave. She would have frightened all of you had I not. But she doesn't speak. She feels.”
Avaleigh listened intently, trying to understand. She really wished that Bam was here; he was the one that was good at feeling. “What is she feeling, Delilah, does she show you that much?”
“She is anxious. She does not sleep. She watches, always, as she did when we were with Lurin. She does not ever stop watching.”
“Did she do that when you first came here?”
“No. She was happier. She was learning to love her family.” She smiled sweetly, remembering, “She loved sleeping in Kaid's arms. We are safe there.”
“Then come back. Let us help you work through this.”
“I cannot. I am not sure that I can control her. I cannot risk the safety of family. It comes first. Always.”
“I can’t change your mind?”
“I am sorry. I must be sure that all are safe from my Beast; then, perhaps if I am still wanted, I will come home.”
“Kaid ain’t going to like this. He wants you with him,” Amos told her.
“Please think about it; you are missing so much.”
Delilah inclined her head sadly, “I am aware.”
As Avaleigh and Amos stepped down from the last step and turned to wave at Delilah where she stood on the deck watching them go, Avaleigh asked, “Can I share what we’ve found with Kaid and the guys? So that they will know also?”
“Yes, you may. Thank you for asking permission.”
<> <> <> <> <>
It was after 5 by the time that they’d finished visiting with Delilah and got back to the house. Janie was busy in the kitchen frying pork chops, making mashed potatoes, opening cans of peas. Little tiny green ones, not the big sweet ones. “Hey, Girl,” Avaleigh greeted her.
“Hey, how’s Delilah?”
“A little better, I think. Still won’t come home though.”
“Damn. Kaid’s going to be really upset.”
“Yeah, he is. Here, let me help you open those peas.”
“Yes, but only the little teeny tiny ones! I hate the big sweet ones.”
“Yes, I know.”
The door opened, and the guys started filing in, banging their shoes on the porch before coming in. Bane came over to Janie, kissed her deeply and handed her a bag of bacon and syrup. “I do not have any idea what you are doing with that, but if you want it, Baby, it’s yours,” he said, smiling indulgently at his Mate.
Maverik came in moving Bane out of the way so that he could pat Janie’s belly. “Hey, baby Bear!!!! Uncle Mav’s here! We got you bacon!!”
“I got her bacon, you idiot!” Bane said.
“I was driving, so technically, we got her bacon,” Maverik smirked at him. He readdressed Janie’s belly, “Tell your mom to make enough of whatever she’s got going on for me, too,” he whispered exaggeratedly.
Avaleigh heard Goldy’s booming laugh from the front room. She heard Daniel and Bam talking as they took some of their tools out of the back of the truck outside. What she didn't hear was Kaid. “Where’s Kaid?”
“He’s already headed back to Bam’s to be near Delilah,” Bane told her.
“Damn. I hate that this is happening to them. Finding your Mate is supposed to be a wonderful thing. Not something that wrenches your heart,” Avaleigh said.
“Excuse me?!” A loud rumbly voice boomed as he entered the kitchen where the girls were cooking. “What did you say?”
Avaleigh immediately starting grinning, “You heard me, Dragon!”
“Yeah, like you made it so easy and happy on me from day one!”
“Hey, that was different! And you know you would have run roughshod all over me had I given in right away!”
“Bullshit! I’d have fallen at your feet regardless, and you know it!” Daniel told her.
“Yes, my love, I do know it,” Avaleigh told him lovingly.
Daniel swept her up and wrapped her in a hug that every woman on earth would have envied.
“Dinner’s almost ready. What do you say we eat and then go over and have another bonfire,” Bam asked.
“Sounds great. Ya’ll go away and let me make my bacon crack,” Janie said.
“Bacon what?” Goldy asked.
“Bacon Crack. It’s crispy bread, with brown sugar and maple syrup and layers and layers of crunchy bacon. Bacon Crack.”
“Yeyeyeah,” Goldy stuttered. “Like cracklins, but with some maple crystallized on there to make it crunchier like candy, we used to make those things back in Minnesota. I’ve heard of that!”
“Really? Then why the hell haven’t you made it for us before, Old Man?” Maverik challenged him.
Bane’s phone rang, “Hey, This’s Bane.”
“Oh, you sure, Man? We can wait a bit for you,” he stopped talking, listening to the caller. “Yeah. Un-huh. You sure? Awright. Another day, then. Kiss that baby.” He ended the call then turned to the room filled with people, now watching him. “Riley. He said he can’t make it for dinner. Something happened at the daycare.”
“Is the baby okay?!” Avaleigh all but screamed.
“Yes, she’s fine! But he said he’s got to take care of something. He’ll join us another night.”
Avaleigh, her hand to her chest, took a deep breath, “Don’t scare me like that!”
Still holding a hand to her chest as she took over frying the pork chops from Janie, so she could make her Bacon Crack, she told them, “Ya’ll get cleaned up. Dinner is almost ready.
Over dinner, Avaleigh and Amos told them about all she’d found in Lurin's papers and about their visit with Delilah.
Bane made a remark that got Bam to thinking. “Maybe we need to make her see that she’s needed. That Kaid needs her. Like ya’ll did me when I was hiding.” The others snickered, but the remark brought Bam up short. That’s exactly what she needed, and Kaid, too.
“We going to have a bonfire?” Bam asked.
“Yes, we sure as hell are. And Bacon Crack, too,” Mav answered.
“And music and dancing, too?” Bam prodded.
“Music?” Sadie asked.
“Yeah, like we used to. You remember, Goldy? We’d play music and drink beer and just have fun.” Bam finished.
“Yes, Sir, I do. You want a good time tonight, Bam?” Goldy asked, grinning at the memory.
“Yep. I do. Can we, Bane? Can we? It’s early yet. We got a lot done today, so if we a little late in the morning’, it won’t matter. Can we?”
“Janie, Heart? How do you feel?” Bane asked her.
“Feel like I wan
t to eat bacon crack and dance,” she smiled at him, knowing full well he’d been worried about Bam and his quietness since they’d been to town a few weeks earlier.
“Well, then, a party it is!” Bane said. He leaned close, kissed her lips, “Thank you, Baby.” She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.
Before dinner was even finished, Bam left the table, calling from the front door, “I’ll be back. Get the bonfire ready.”
“What the hell is he up to?” Avaleigh asked Maverik.
“Don’t ask me. I’m usually the doer, but I ain’t in on this one; I have no clue.”
<> <> <> <> <>
Bam could hear the music flowing out of the bar before he pulled open the door and strode inside. The smoke, the voices, the sounds of the cue ball clacking on the break on the pool table. He paused at the door, looked around, and immediately found who he was looking for. He walked over to a booth in the back, lowered himself into it and smiled at the man across from him. “Bam! What are you doing here, my friend?”
“Looking for a favor, Vince. You game?”
“Sure I am, what cha need? You name it.”
Bam explained what he was thinking. He filled Vince in on the situation at home with Kaid and Delilah; then, he explained about what had happened with Bane and Janie when Bane wouldn't man up.
“Okay, but what I don’t understand is Kaid is not a weak male. He’s Alpha for fuck’s sake. Why doesn't he just grab her, throw her down, and claim her?”
“’Cause he thinks that she will leave him when she finds out that he left her back there. He doesn't want to make it worse on her when she leaves him. And he wants her to choose him. She’s been told all her life what she could and couldn't do. He wants her to choose what she wants, not have it decided for her. Even though that’s what his Bear wants him to do. Bear wants him to grab her and claim her. He’s all tore up inside.”
“So you think this will work?”
Kaid's Queen Page 14
